i  a.w. 


SUGGESTIONS 
FOR  LEADERS  of 
JUNIOR  GROUPS 

Using 

The  Honorable 
Crimson  Tree 

(Anita  B.  Ferris) 


J.  Gertrude  Hutton 


NEW  YORK 
EVERYLAND  PRESS 
1919 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


I.  For  Boys  and  Girls 

Brown,  C.  Campbell.  Children  of  China .  1909.  Fleming  H. 

Re  veil  Co.,  New  York. 

Hall,  Katharine  Stanley.  Children  at  Play  in  Many  Lands. 
1912.  Missionary  Education  Movement,  New  York. 

Headland,  Isaac  Taylor.  The  Chinese  Boy  and  Girl.  1901. 
Chinese  Mother  Goose  Rhymes.  1900.  Young  China  Hunters. 
1912.  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  New  York. 

Johnstone,  Lena  E.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands:  China.  1909.  The 
Macmillan  Co.,  New  York. 

Lee,  Yan  Phou.  When  I  Was  a  Boy  in  China.  1887.  Lothrop, 
Lee  &  Shepard,  Boston. 

Pitman,  Norman  H.  Chinese  Fairy  Stories.  1910.  Thomas  Y. 
Crowell  Co.,  New  York. 

II.  For  Teachers 

Andrews,  Roy  Chapman.  Camps  and  Trails  in  China.  1918. 

D.  Appleton  &  Company,  New  York. 

Cochran,  Jean  Carter.  Foreign  Magic.  1919.  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation  Movement,  New  York. 

Ferris,  Anita  B.  Missionary  Program  Material.  1916.  Mission¬ 
ary  Education  Movement,  New  York. 

Gamewell,  Mary  Ninde.  New  Life  Currents  in  China.  1919. 

Missionary  Education  Movement,  New  York. 

Price,  Willard.  Ancient  Peoples  at  New  Tasks.  1918.  Mis¬ 
sionary  Education  Movement,  New  York. 

III.  Magazines 

Everyland.  A  magazine  of  world  friendship  for  boys  and 
girls.  15  cents  a  copy.  $1.50  a  year.  Published  monthly 
by  Everyland,  160  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 

World  Outlook.  20  cents  a  copy.  $1.50  a  year.  Published 
monthly  at  150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 


The  National  Geographic  Magazine.  25  cents  a  copy.  $2.50 
a  year.  Published  by  'National  Geographic  Society,  Wash¬ 
ington,  D.  C. 

Educational  Review.  A  quarterly  journal  published  by  The 
China  Christian  Educational  Association,  5  Quinsan  Gardens, 
Shanghai,  China.  $1.00  per  year. 

The  Chinese  Recorder.  Published  monthly  by  the  American 
Presbyterian  Mission  Press,  18  Peking  Road,  Shanghai, 
China.  $4.00  a  year. 

Millard’s  Review  of  the  Far  East.  Published  weekly  by  Mil¬ 
lard  Publishing  Co.,  Inc.,  113  Avenue  Edward  VII,  Shang¬ 
hai,  China.  20  cents  a  copy. 

Asia.  Journal  of  the  American  Asiatic  Association.  35  cents 
a  copy.  $3.00  a  year.  Published  monthly  by  Asia  Publish¬ 
ing  Co.,  627  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York. 

Missionary  magazines  of  the  various  denominations  for  1919-20 
also  contain  valuable  matter  on  this  theme. 

IV.  Pictures 

Everyland  Picture  Series.  Everyland  Press,  160  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York.  15  cents.  Sixteen-pnge  folders  of  pictures, 
each  accompanied  by  a  full  description;  designed  especially 
for  note-book  and  poster  work. 

“Chinese  Snap  Shots.” 

“Chinese  Boys  and  Girls.” 

“Orientals  in  the  United  States.” 

China  Picture  Stories.  Missionary  Education  Movement,  New 
York.  35  cents.  Five  pictures,  x  12  V2  inches,  with  a 
teachers’  manual  of  stories  to  tell  to  primary  children  and 
suggestions  for  hand-work. 


3 


GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS 


WORLD  friendship,  the  establishment  of  a  sense 
of  brotherhood,  an  appreciation  of  the  inter¬ 
relatedness  of  all  members  of  the  world  family, 
a  desire  to  share  in  work  for  the  common  good  of  all, — 
these  are  the  goals  which  the  missionary  leader  of  vision 
has  in  mind  when  planning  the  year’s  program  for 
juniors.  To  find  a  point  of  contact  which  leads  to  these 
results  is  in  most  cases  comparatively  easy;  but  there 
may  be  those  who  will  turn  to  this  year’s  study  of  China 
with  the  fear  that  it  will  be  a  very  difficult  matter  to  help 
our  boys  and  girls  to  any  real  and  vital  feeling  of  friend¬ 
ship  toward  their  Chinese  brothers  and  sisters. 

Such  a  fear  may  be  explained  in  several  ways.  In 
the  first  place,  most  of  our  teaching  about  the  Chinese 
has  been  given  with  the  idea  that  the  unusual  and  the 
queer  are  the  most  interesting.  We  have  forgotten  that 
anything  too  strange  and  unfamiliar  repels  rather  than 
attracts,  and  we  have  so  emphasized  the  points  in  which 
the  Chinese  differ  from  us  that  all  unconsciously  perhaps, 
but  none  the  less  surely,  we  have  given  our  pupils  the 
idea  that  these  people  across  the  seas  are  totally  unlike 
ourselves.  We  have  overlooked  any  common  ground  and 
have  made  them  seem  almost,  if  not  quite,  repellent.  The 
difference  between  their  clothes  and  ours,  their  strange 
habits  and  customs,  their  poverty  and  ignorance  have 
been  stressed,  and  little  has  been  done  to  make  our  boys 
and  girls  able  to  put  themselves  in  the  place  of  Chinese 
juniors  and  to  see  themselves  as  they  are  seen. 

Such  little  dramatizations  as  “Which  Land  is  Topsy- 
Turvy?”  and  “In  China  and  America,”  from  Missionary 
Program  Material,  Anita  B.  Ferris  (see  Bibliography), 
contain  sound  teaching  and  require  little  time  for  prepa- 


4 


ration.  In  ‘‘Chinese  Boys  and  Girls”  (see  Bibliog¬ 
raphy),  is  a  picture  showing  how  costumes  of  other 
lands  look  to  more  commonly,  with  the  suggestion 
that  perhaps  our  ideas  of  the  Chinese  are  as  incorrect 
as  are  theirs  of  an  American  child. 

We  have  regarded  the  bound  feet  of  the  Chinese  with 
a  mingled  horror  and  pity  that  gave  never  a  thought  to 
our  own  absurd  high -heeled  and  pointed  shoes.  We  have 
laughed  at  their  cues  and  ignored  the  fine  reverence  of 
the  Chinese  for  their  elders — a  custom  which  most  Amer¬ 
ican  children  could  emulate  with  profit.  We  have  been 
shocked  at  the  Chinese  term  “foreign  devils”  applied  to 
our  missionaries  and  have  never  stopped  to  ask  if  this 
had  any  connection  with  our  own  epithets  of  “Chink, 
Chink,  Chinaman.” 

In  the  second  place,  far  too  little  has  been  said  con¬ 
cerning  China’s  contribution  to  the  common  welfare.  A 
leader  might  search  long  to  find  a  better  beginning  of 
the  study  of  China  with  juniors  than  that  of  hunting 
through  encyclopedias  and  histories,  geographical  read¬ 
ers  and  magazines,  and  compiling  from  them  a  catalog 
of  China’s  gifts  to  the  world.  From  the  compass  to 
canals,  from  paper  to  silk,  from  china  to  tea  and  rice, 
the  list  is  a  long  and  interesting  one.  Even  Confucian¬ 
ism,  though  falling  far  short  of  the  standard  set  by 
Christianity,  is  responsible  for  the  beautiful  reverence 
and  courtesy  of  the  Chinese,  and  justice  demands  that 
we  recognize  this.  Such  a  study  of  the  world’s  debt  to 
China  must  surely  go  far  toward  annihilating  any  atti¬ 
tude  of  patronage  or  superiority  on  the  part  of  our  pupils 
and  substituting  the  more  wholesome  one  of  reciprocity. 
The  sense  of  fair  play  is  natural  to  children  and  may  be 
developed  into  a  real  desire  to  pay  a  just  debt  by  that 
sharing  which  lies  at  the  base  of  all  true  growth  toward 
world  democracy. 

A  third  factor  that  makes  difficult  the  establishment 
of  the  right  attitude  on  the  part  of  our  juniors  toward 


5 


the  Chinese  lies  in  the  fact  that  acquaintance  with  them 
is  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  laundryman,  and  in 
many  cases  the  attitude  of  the  home,  and  even  of  the 
church  school,  has  been  one  of  either  indifference  or 
antipathy.  The  leader  who  recognizes  the  situation 
clearly  at  the  outset  will  also  realize  clearly  the  way  to 
create  a  better  understanding.  The  simplest  and  easiest 
point  of  contact  is  often  through  one  of  these  humble 
members  of  the  social  order,  who  frequently  come  in  for 
much  obloquy,  name  calling,  and  petty  persecution. 

How  naturally  Christian  and  social  such  contacts  may 
be  made  was  abundantly  proved  recently  by  the  junior 
departments  of  two  church  schools,  when  the  laundry- 
men  of  the  neighborhood  were  asked  to  come  in  to  settle 
disputed  points  concerning  their  country.  So  simple,  dig¬ 
nified,  and  valuable  were  the  explanations  in  each  case 
that  the  men  were  invited  to  become  members  of  the 
department ;  soon  they  were  regarded  by  the  children  as 
their  special  friends  and  were  looked  upon  with  no  small 
respect.  In  another  instance,  the  brightest  spot  in  the 
week  for  a  laundryman  was  the  short  time  spent  in  the 
kitchen  of  a  customer,  talking  to  her  three-year-old  son. 
Every  week  the  child  saved  his  choicest  treasure — a 
bright  picture  card,  a  bit  of  candy,  or  a  few  crackers — 
for  “my  mans,”  who  in  turn  brought  small  gifts  of  nuts 
and  fed  his  hungry  heart  with  the  child’s  society. 

It  would  probably  be  wise  to  safeguard  children  in 
such  friendships,  as  the  life  which  many  of  the  Chinese 
live  here  is,  of  necessity,  not  quite  normal.  But  after  all, 
an  intimate  association  is  not  what  is  needed ;  what  is 
really  sought  is  a  changed  attitude  on  the  part  of  the  chil¬ 
dren,  and  this  may  be  easily  established. 

Again,  in  many  college  towns  there  are  numbers  of 
lonely  and  homesick  Chinese  students.  No  more  gracious 
act  could  be  performed  by  the  home-makers  in  these 
towns  than  to  extend  to  such  students  an  occasional 


6 


week-end  invitation.  The  resulting  mutual  interest  and 
understanding  would  be  most  valuable.  During  the  last 
few  months  a  group  of  young  women  has  been  in  almost 
daily  association  with  a  Chinese  girl  student.  Her  quick 
mind,  her  gentle  manners,  her  keen  sense  of  humor,  and 
her  merry,  bubbling  laugh,  her  sleek  hair,  her  quaint 
native  dress  worn  with  so  much  dignity  and  grace,  and 
elegant  with  its  exquisite  stitchery,  all  have  given  her 
companions  a  changed  conception  of  Chinese  women  that 
has  been  most  wholesome. 

Sometimes  the  contact  can  be  established  through  a 
city  mission  school,  where  Chinese  boys  and  girls  can  be 
seen  growing  into  Americans  through  their  work  and 
play.  Last  winter  a  group  of  American  children  attended 
the  Christmas  exercises  of  a  Chinese  Sunday-school  in 
New  York  City.  They  listened  in  delighted  wonder  to 
the  dainty  little  play  staged  by  the  younger  girls;  they 
laughed  with  the  older  girls  over  the  clever  Red  Cross 
drama  prepared  by  these  Chinese  pupils;  they  gazed  in 
admiration  at  the  straight-shouldered,  clear-eyed  Boy 
Scouts  as  they  went  through  a  snappy  drill.  When  the 
leader  reported  for  the  year  and  stated  the  amount  of 
Liberty  Bonds  the  troop  had  sold,  the  American  children 
were  just  a  bit  crestfallen.  “Why,  they’re  just  like  us,” 
they  said,  “only  ahead  in  some  things !”  A  very  whole¬ 
some  idea  to  carry  home! 

Another  type  of  contact,  not  quite  so  close  but  still 
very  valuable,  comes  through  the  visits  and  stories  of 
furloughed  missionaries,  especially  those  who  possess  the 
rather  rare  ability  of  getting  the  juniors’  point  of  view 
and  telling  experiences  and  needs  that  win  a  response 
from  children. 

If  all  of  the  means  thus  far  suggested  are  quite  im¬ 
possible,  it  is  worth  while  to  try  to  get  the  personal  touch 
through  correspondence  with  the  pupils  of  some  foreign 
mission  school  and  through  the  exchange  of  pictures, 
cards,  simple  games,  toys,  school  work,  and  perhaps  some 


7 


articles  of  clothing.  This  may  entail  trouble  and  consid¬ 
erable  correspondence,  but  the  results  are  so  well  worth 
while  that  they  repay  the  effort. 

There  are  still  other  means  for  developing  that  under¬ 
standing  on  which  real  respect  for  the  Chinese  may  be 
founded.  Some  of  the  possibilities  are : 

1.  Games.  In  playing  the  games  of  the  boys  and 
girls  of  other  lands,  children  enter  in  some  measure  into 
the  experiences  of  the  children  who  originated  them,  and 
frequently  find  their  respect  for  the  brothers  and  sisters 
across  the  sea  largely  increased.  For  example,  the  re¬ 
action  to  “Man  Wheel”  is  frequently,  “Gee,  those  Chinese 
fellows  must  have  lots  of  strength  to  play  that !”  “Fish 
Tail”  requires  much  alertness  and  swiftness,  and  “Frog 
in  the  Well,”  with  its  dainty  rhythm  and  the  gay  scram¬ 
ble  at  the  end,  is  pretty  and  amusing  and  never  fails  to 
please  the  little  girls.  (Hall,  Children  at  Play  in  Many 
Lands.  See  Bibliography.) 

2.  Folk  Tales  and  Rhymes.  Stories  about  the  Chi¬ 
nese.1  Chinese  Mother  Goose  rhymes  and  many  Chinese 
folk-tales  are  both  quaint  and  interesting;  they  often 
show  how  like  American  children  the  Chinese  really  are, 
and  how  many  experiences  are  common  to  both  groups. 
Besides  these,  there  have  been  written  for  children  many 
stories  about  the  Chinese  which  help  to  build  up  a 
background  of  knowledge  and  develop  a  desirable 
familiarity  with  and  understanding  of  these  Oriental 
friends  whom  we  too  often  have  set  down  as  entirely 
“queer.”  Such  stories  may  be  found  in  public  libraries. 

3.  Pictures.  Another  tool  within  the  reach  of  every 
leader  is  the  picture.  Pictures  speak  a  universal  lan¬ 
guage,  one  that  is  particularly  pleasing  to  children;  they 
tell  a  story  more  quickly  than  the  printed  page,  and  chil¬ 
dren  love  to  collect  and  mount  them.  No  leader  will  fail 
to  make  the  largest  possible  use  of  pictures  in  creating 

1  For  lists  of  tales  and  stories  see  Bibliography. 


8 


and  developing  an  intelligent  understanding  of  the 
Chinese. 

Excellent  pictures  may  be  obtained  from  your  own 
mission  board;  from  the  Missionary  Education  Move¬ 
ment;  from  the  Everyland  Picture  Series  (see  Bibli¬ 
ography)  ;  from  magazines  like  Everyland,  The  National 
Geographic,  and  the  World  Outlook  (see  Bibliography)  ; 
from  old  geographies  and  geographical  readers;  from 
steamship  and  railway  line  folders.  The  pictures  may  be 
cut  out  and  used  in  the  pupils’  note-books,  or  pasted  on 
cardboard  to  make  posters  illustrating  the  different  phases 
of  life  in  China. 

A  most  convenient  way  of  preparing  and  caring  for 
such  posters  is  the  following: 

First,  decide  upon  a  convenient  and  uniform  size; 
this  will  be  in  part  determined  by  the  place  where  the 
posters  are  to  hang.  Usually  22  x  24  inches  is  a  good 
size.  Next,  decide  on  the  mounting  board;  this  may  be 
of  heavy  manila  paper  or  bristol-board ;  probably  the  best 
thing  is  a  regular  mounting  board  of  either  soft  green  or 
gray.  A  strip  of  wood  should  then  be  finished  to  match 
the  walls  of  the  room ;  this  wood  should  be  ^4  inch  thick, 
3  inches  wide,  and  the  length  of  the  poster  mount.  On 
one  edge  insert  two  or  three  screw-eyes,  which  should 
correspond  to  an  equal  number  of  strong  hooks  placed 
in  the  wall.  On  the  flat  front  face  of  the  strip,  screw  in 
three  hooks  shaped  as  in  Figure  i-b.  The  ordinary  long 
brass  hook  for  holding  sash  curtains  is  just  the  thing, 
and  the  correct  angle  can  be  obtained  by  striking  a  few 
light  blows  with  a  hammer.  On  each  long  edge  of  each 
poster,  holes  should  be  made  to  correspond  to  the  hooks 
on  the  strip,  and  eyelets  should  be  inserted  and  fastened 
with  an  eyelet  set.  If  this  is  not  easily  obtainable,  the 
eyelets  may  be  omitted  altogether  if  the  mount  is  heavy ; 
but  much  better  service  will  be  obtained  with  the  use  of 
the  eyelets. 

A  very  good  substitute  for  the  eyelets  and  eyelet  set 


9 


10 


may,  however,  be  devised.  Secure  from  a  shoemaker 
or  cobbler  a  quantity  of  the  large  eyes  that  are  furnished 
for  laced  shoes.  For  a  few  cents  any  hardware  mer¬ 
chant  will  sell  a  drive  punch,  the  cutting  edge  of  which 
should  be  exactly  the  size  of  the  small  end  of  the  eyelet. 
Place  the  drive  punch  in  position  on  the  mounts,  and 
with  a  sharp  blow  from  a  hammer  on  the  punch  cut 
holes  at  the  proper  place  and  insert  the  eye.  To  start 
the  little  prongs  down,  break  over  the  unfinished  edge 
of  the  eye  on  the  back  of  the  mount  with  a  small  round 
nail  set.  Lay  the  mount  on  the  block  of  wood  or  an  old 
table,  and  hammer  the  prongs  down  into  place.  This 
makes  a  very  inexpensive  and  useful  finish,  and  looks 
almost  as  well  as  the  work  done  with  the  eyelet  set. 

When  the  mounts  are  thus  finished,  the  pictures 
should  be  pasted  in  place,  care  being  taken  to  paste 
them  so  that  they  will  show  right  side  up  when  the 
poster  is  reversed.  All  the  posters  are  then  hinged  to¬ 
gether  at  one  edge  by  a  metal  ring  or  a  stout  cord,  and 
any  one  of  them  may  be  attached  by  the  eyelets  to  the 
strip  of  wood.  As  need  arises,  any  of  those  hanging  can 
be  also  attached  to  the  hooks.  Figure  i-a  shows  how  the 
hanger  looks,  when  complete. 

An  artistic  arrangement  of  pictures  on  the  sheet 
should  be  sought.  It  is  advisable  to  show  a  single  sub¬ 
ject  or  a  single  phase  of  a  subject  on  each  sheet,  as  this 
greatly  increases  the  usefulness  and  the  convenience  of 
the  device.  These  directions  may  seem  complicated,  but 
the  making  is  really  very  simple.  Three  or  four  juniors, 
working  for  two  hours,  can  easily  complete  a  set  that 
will  soon  prove  its  worth. 

Another  way  of  using  pictures  that  would  have  a 
special  interest  for  juniors  might  be  called  Moving 
Pictures.”  This  is  on  the  plan  of  the  old-fashioned 
roller  towel  and  calls  for  a  bracket  exactly  like  the  roller 
towel  holder.  Again  the  junior  boys  can  make  this  in 
a  short  time.  Use  a  y2-‘mch  round  dowel  for  the  roller. 


ii 


The  back  and  ends  should  be  of  wood  about  y2  inch 
thick  and  3  or  4  inches  wide.  (See  Figure  2.)  Paper,  or 
paper  muslin,  of  a  width  to  fit  the  bracket  should  then 
be  joined  in  a  continuous  piece,  and  the  pictures  pasted 
on  it.  The  best  results  and  the  least  wrinkling  will  come 
from  the  use  of  as  little  paste  as  will  hold,  and  after  the 
pictures  are  pasted,  they  should  be  dried  under  a  weight 
for  several  hours.  When  the  roll  is  suspended  in  place, 
a  screen  of  muslin  or  cardboard,  with  an  opening  just 
large  enough  to  permit  a  single  picture  to  show  at  a  time, 
may  be  placed  in  front.  The  operator  pulls  the  roll 
down,  while  the  leader  or  a  pupil  lectures  on  the  pic¬ 
tures  ;  or  the  captions  may  be  printed  and  pasted  to  ac¬ 
company  each  picture. 

A  slightly  different  arrangement,  in  which  the  pic¬ 
tures  run  horizontally,  consists  of  three  vertical  rolls 
arranged  as  in  Figure  3.  The  rolls  are  >4-inch  dowels,  11 
inches  long.  A  triangular  arrangement  of  wooden  strips, 
each  about  l/2  inch  thick,  il/2  inches  or  more  wide,  and 
18  inches  long,  holds  each  roll  upright.  Thus  a  longer 
reel  is  accommodated  than  if  only  two  rolls  were  used. 
A  large  circle  of  thin  wood  about  il/2  inches  in  diameter, 
fastened  to  roll  A  and  provided  with  a  handle,  will  be 
found  a  convenience  in  turning  the  pictures.  A  wire 
nail  may  be  bent  and  used  as  a  handle.  The  strips  may 
be  lightly  fastened  to  the  top  of  an  old  table.  A  screen 
similar  to  the  one  already  suggested  may  be  added,  if 
desired.  (See  Figure  4.)  The  opening  should  be  cut 
at  a  height  corresponding  to  the  table  on  which  the  pic¬ 
tures  rest. 

A  novel  way  of  using  the  pictures  is  to  build  up  a 
scene  to  illustrate  the  story  that  has  been  told.  Cut  the 
necessary  pictures  from  post-cards  or  illustrations,  taking 
care  to  select  those  that  will  compose  a  good  picture,  with 
the  proper  perspective.  Pictures  may  be  traced  or  drawn 
by  the  children,  or  by  some  specially  gifted  member  of 
the  class,  and  then  colored.  For  background  use  a  large 


12 


sheet  of  cardboard,  or  of  beaver-board,  which  any  car¬ 
penter  will  furnish  at  small  cost.  The  cardboard  should 
be  at  least  8  inches  by  io  inches  in  size.  The  paper  back¬ 
ground  should  be  colored  with  crayons  or  water-color, 
after  a  careful  study  of  the  text  and  other  books,  to 
make  sure  of  correct  tints  and  placing  of  objects.  At  ir¬ 
regular  intervals  in  the  foreground  cut  a  number  of  slits, 
either  with  a  half-round  chisel,  a  sharp  carving  tool,  or 
a  penknife.  (See  Figure  5,  a,  a.)  As  the  story  is  told, 
each  figure  is  inserted  in  its  proper  slit.  New  figures 
may  be  added,  as  the  story  develops,  and  they  may  be 
moved  from  slit  to  slit  at  will.  Figure  5  shows  one  possi¬ 
ble  “tableau”  to  illustrate  an  incident  in  “The  Tiger 
Hunt.”  The  advantages  of  this  device  are  many.  It 
provides  an  interesting  outlet  for  the  activity  which 
juniors  crave;  it  calls  for  some  initiative;  it  permits  cre¬ 
ative  effort.  Best  of  all,  it  provides  for  the  service  ele¬ 
ment,  for  any  boy  or  girl,  or  group  of  boys  and  girls, 
may  be  inspired  to  take  the  little  scene  home  or  to  another 
band,  a  hospital,  a  shut-in,  or  a  lonesome  person,  and 
retell  the  story  while  building  up  the  scene.  In  this  way 
the  spirit  and  enthusiasm  of  the  group  may  be  greatly 
extended,  and  the  benefit  to  the  pupils  of  retelling  the 
stories  will  prove  very  great. 

3.  The  Honorable  Crimson  Tree.  Here  is  a  book 
which  may  be  used  with  juniors  in  a  number  of  ways. 
The  stories  may  be  told  in  a  story-hour  class,  and  the 
free  and  informal  discussion  that  may  follow  such  tell¬ 
ing  while  the  suggested  hand-work  is  being  carried  on 
ought  to  be  most  valuable.  The  book  may  also  be  used  as 
the  basis  of  study  for  a  term  of  weeks  in  the  regular 
Sunday-school  session.  It  will  find  a  large  use  by  lead¬ 
ers  of  mission  bands,  and  each  story  may  be  made  a 
center  around  which  to  build  up  a  program.  It  is  here 
that  the  leader  may  show  the  greatest  skill  and  under¬ 
standing  of  children.  It  must  never  be  forgotten  for  an 
instant  that  the  ultimate  object  of  the  use  of  the  stories 


13 


is  to  create  a  new  mental  attitude,  to  lead  the  pupils  to 
a  sense  of  kinship,  of  brotherhood  with  their  friends 
across  the  seas.  This  is  the  very  heart  of  the  missionary 
spirit,  a  fundamental  of  Christian  living,  and  nothing 
must  be  added  to  or  omitted  from  the  program  which  will 
nullify  or  weaken  the  attempt  to  reach  this  end. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  one  of  our  great¬ 
est  mistakes  has  been  so  to  teach  religion  and  missions 
that  they  have  seemed  to  be  quite  isolated  from  every¬ 
day  life.  If  the  most  vital  and  worth-while  results  are 
to  be  reached,  the  devotional  period  of  a  meeting  should 
come  as  a  natural,  normal,  spontaneous — I  had  almost 
said,  irrepressible — reaction  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  and 
should  never  be  imposed  by  the  leader  merely  as  a  matter 
of  habit  or  tradition.  We  are  not  teaching  missions,  the 
Bible,  or  how  to  pray;  we  are  striving  to  establish  those 
conditions  under  which  Christian  character  can  most 
fully  develop.  One  prime  condition  for  juniors  is  activ¬ 
ity;  the  normal  junior  is  not  talking  his  life;  he  is  too 
busy  living  it.  His  Christian  development  should  be 
measured,  not  by  what  he  says,  not  by  the  ease  with 
which  he  prays  in  the  band  meeting, — this  may  be  only 
a  well-meant  effort  to  please  his  leader, — but  by  what 
he  does.  Abundant  provision  should,  therefore,  be  made 
for  reaction  in  service  and  sharing,  and  so  far  as  may  be, 
in  really  social,  Christian  treatment  of  the  Chinese. 

Since  conditions  and  needs  vary  with  each  school,  the 
programs  offered  are  only  suggestive;  they  should  be 
varied  freely  to  suit  local  situations.  Denominational 
boards  will  gladly  furnish  further  suggestions  for  things 
that  boys  and  girls  can  do  to  help  their  Chinese  cousins. 


H 


SUGGESTED  PROGRAMS 


The  two  deepest  needs  of  China  to-day  are :  an  education 
which  fits  life,  and  the  infusing  of  the  spirit  of  self-sacrific¬ 
ing  service  for  the  good  of  others. — C.  M.  Lacey  Sites,  in  Edu¬ 
cational  Review ,  October,  1918. 

There  is  just  a  glimmer  of  something  approaching  the 
birth  of  a  national  spirit  in  China.  People  are  beginning  to 
realize  what  such  a  thing  means.  Most  of  them  look  upon  it 
as  something  almost  hopeless  of  realization,  but  the  fact  that 
a  national  spirit  among  the  people  is  even  recognized  as  desir¬ 
able,  no  matter  how  hopeless  they  may  be  of  its  spread  to  a 
degree  that  will  make  it  a  factor  of  affairs  of  China,  is  in 
itself  a  move  in  the  right  direction. — The  Far  East  Unveiled, 
Frederic  A.  Coleman.  Cassell  &  Co.,  Ltd., .  London,  1918. 

I.  A  Preliminary  Meeting 

The  object  of  this  meeting  should  be  to  assemble  the 
children  and  arouse  their  interest  in  the  subject  of  China; 
to  make  assignments  for  the  next  meeting;  and  to  stir 
up  a  spirit  of  eager  enthusiasm  and  anticipation,  while 
laying  the  first  foundation  stone  of  respect  for  our  great 
neighbor. 

I.  Song  service  of  patriotic  hymns,  with  salute  to  the 
flag. 

II.  Free  and  informal  discussion: 

Why  do  we  call  America  the  “land  of  the  free”  ? 
What  does  “republic”  mean?  How  many  great 
republics  can  you  name?  Which  is  the  largest  in 
size?  the  newest?  the  most  populous?  Would 
you  like  to  spend  a  few  sessions  finding  out  some 
things  about  China?  Could  the  world  very  well 
get  on  without  the  things  China  provides  ?  What 
does  she  give  the  world?  (Assign  to  various 
members  sources  in  which  to  find  the  answers  to 
these  questions.) 

III.  Describe  the  poster  hanger  and  arrange  for  its 
making.  (See  page  9.) 


15 


Describe  the  “moving-picture  machine”  and  as¬ 
sign  to  various  members  its  construction.  (See 
page  ii.) 

Describe  the  built-up  scene,  and  assign  as  many 
as  desired  to  other  members  for  construction. 

(See  page  12.) 

IV.  Children  who  do  not  care  for  these,  or  who  wish 
to  do  extra  work,  may  be  given  the  preparation  of 
individual  note-books,  or  of  a  composite  class 
note-book. 

V.  “How  many  pupils  can  bring  any  Chinese  curios 
next  session?”  (If  possible,  start  a  loan  collec¬ 
tion.) 

VI.  Tell  where  to  look  for  pictures,  and  ask  all  the 
children  to  bring  all  they  can  find.  Especially 
needed  for  the  next  session:  pictures  of  Chinese 
men,  women,  a  white  man  with  a  gun,  a  tiger,  a 
goat. 

VII.  Decide  whether  each  pupil  shall  supply  himself 
weekly  with  working  materials,  such  as  scissors, 
paste,  cardboard,  etc. 

VIII.  Arrange  for  some  pupils  to  come  early  and  pre¬ 
pare  the  picture  on  the  sand  table,  if  so  desired. 

IX.  Strive  to  send  all  the  pupils  away  keenly  eager  to 
find  out  many  things  about  the  sister  republic  and 
to  contribute  their  share  to  the  class  sessions. 

II.  Program  for  “The  Tiger  Hunt” 

While  the  stories  in  The  Honorable  Crimson  Tree  are 
fiction,  they  are  true  in  the  larger  sense  that  they  are 
based  on  fact  and  are  typical  of  the  parts  of  China  in 
which  their  scenes  are  laid.  China  being  such  a  very 
large  country,  it  is  manifestly  impossible  that  each  story 
should  be  typical  of  all  sections.  The  story  of  the  tiger 
hunt  belongs  to  the  wooded  southern  section,  and  is  so 

16 


far  from  the  experience  of  American  boys  and  girls  that 
it  requires  careful  preparation  to  give  it  the  setting  which 
will  make  it  seem  real.  Yet  many  similar  stories  are  told 
by  furloughed  missionaries.  One  missionary  now  in  this 
country  tells  of  opening  the  window  in  a  humble  Chinese 
home  one  morning  and  looking  off  across  the  hills, 
when  she  became  aware  of  a  form  moving  under  the  win¬ 
dow  and  looked  down  to  see  a  huge  tiger  moving  slowly 
off  after  his  night’s  sleep!  The  same  woman  tells  of  a 
party  from  the  station  who  went  out  on  a  tiger  hunt. 
After  several  fruitless  hours,  they  returned  to  a  Chinese 
village  bearing  as  their  only  trophy  a  wild  boar  which  they 
had  killed.  As  it  was  late  at  night,  this  was  flung  in  one 
corner  of  the  room,  and  the  four  men  were  soon  fast 
asleep  on  the  top  of  the  kang.  They  were  wakened  by 
the  sense  of  some  danger,  and  saw  two  great  green  eyes 
in  a  corner  of  the  room.  One  of  the  men,  suddenly 
realizing  what  it  meant,  shot  at  the  space  between  the 
eyes,  and  a  great  scrambling  and  scratching  followed. 
When  lights  were  brought,  the  bloody  footprints  of  a 
tiger  were  found;  the  animal,  attracted  by  the  smell  of 
the  dead  boar,  had  followed  the  party  from  the  forest, 
scratched  a  hole  under  the  mud  wall  of  the  house,  and 
entered  the  room  where  the  men  were  asleep.  Similar 
incidents  are  described  by  Roy  Chapman  Andrews  in 
Camps  and  Trails  in  China.  (See  Bibliography.) 

I.  Tell  the  story. 

II.  Build  up  the  scene  on  cardboard  background. 

(See  page  12.) 

III.  Discussion :  “How  would  you  like  to  live  in  a  place 
where  tigers  might  come  at  any  time?  Why  are 
our  conditions  so  much  more  comfortable  and 
favorable?”  Let  the  children  talk  freely,  but 
guide  the  discussion  till  it  is  shown  that  freedom 
from  such  fear  is  not  merely  a  geographical  coin¬ 
cidence,  but  a  result  of  the  living  conditions  estab- 


1 7 


lished  through  Christian  ideals.  “Does  this  sug¬ 
gest  anything  we  can  do?  What  did  Jesus  tell 
us  to  do?”  See  The  Great  Commission,  Mat¬ 
thew  28. 

IV.  Sing:  “O  Zion,  haste,  thy  mission  high  fulfilling.” 

V.  Assignment  for  next  session: 

1.  Find  a  chapter,  or  a  number  of  verses,  that 
tells  how  Jesus  treated  the  sick  and  crippled  when 
he  was  on  earth. 

2.  Bring  sheets  of  cardboard  or  white  bristol- 
board  8x10  inches,  bright  pictures,  gay  post¬ 
cards,  paste,  and  scissors. 

3.  Bring  needle,  thread,  and  pieces  of  fine  cheese¬ 
cloth  about  12  inches  square. 

III.  Program  for  “A  New  Doctor  for  China” 

Dr.  Robertson’s  scientific  lectures  preached  to  non-Christian 
audiences  and  Dr.  Peters’  sanitation  and  health  campaigns  make 
all  see  that  the  church  is  interested  in  the  community.  Young 
Chinese  ministers  should  be  helped  to  make  their  preaching  con¬ 
crete.  Community  service  creates  good  feeling  toward  Christians. 

— Educational  Review,  July,  1918. 

I.  Read  the  scripture  selections  called  for  in  Assign¬ 
ment  1,  last  session. 

II.  Songs:  “What  a  friend  we  have  in  Jesus,”  “Savior, 
like  a  shepherd  lead  us.” 

III.  Tell  the  story. 

IV.  Boys  mount  the  sheets  of  cardboard  with  pictures, 
on  both  sides;  paste  two  post-cards  together  to 
hide  the  writing. 

V.  Assignment  for  next  session : 

1.  Bring  as  many  pretty  Sunday-school  cards  or 
papers  as  you  can  to  be  made  up  into  small  parcels 
and  sent  to  Chinese  children. 

2.  Find  in  the  Bible  the  story  of  Jesus  and  the 
little  children. 


18 


IV.  Program  for  “Mai-ling’s  Adventure” 

I.  Call  for  Assignment  2  of  previous  session. 

II.  Song:  “The  morning  light  is  breaking.” 

III.  Tell  the  story. 

IV.  Discussion. 

V.  Have  the  group  dramatize  the  story  with  a  view 
to  giving  it  in  the  Sunday-school  session,  to  an¬ 
other  group,  or  in  an  old  people’s  home. 

VI.  Wrap  the  cards,  address,  and  have  children  mail 
them.  (Previously,  a  school  where  these  will  be 
used  should  have  been  ascertained  by  having  some 
pupil  write  to  your  mission  board.) 

VII.  Assignment  for  next  session: 

1.  Find  in  the  Bible  a  story,  or  stories,  of  good 
neighbors. 

2.  Decide  what  it  means  to  be  a  good  neighbor. 

3.  Tell,  if  you  can,  the  story  of  some  neighborly 
deed  that  you  have  seen. 

4.  Can  you  find  in  the  Bible  a  rule  for  being  a 
good  neighbor?  (The  Golden  Rule.) 

5.  How  do  people  learn  to  be  good  neighbors? 

6.  Is  there  any  way  in  which  we  can  be  good 
neighbors  ? 

In  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  such  a  package  as  is 
here  described,  a  Chinese  missionary  writes :  “The  person 
who  planned  and  packed  that  package  had  a  real  knowl¬ 
edge  of  Chinese  conditions.  The  cards  made  our  ap¬ 
proach  to  the  children  so  much  easier,  as  they  knew  we 
came  in  friendliness.  As  for  the  handkerchiefs,  they 
will  be  carried  up  some  Chinese  sleeve  till  they  change 
color,  smell,  and  aspect ;  but  they  will  still  be  cherished.” 


19 


V.  Program  for  “The  Coming  of  a  Flood” 

Nanhuschou  is  a  small  country  city  on  the  Tientsin  Pukow 
Railroad.  It  is  located  in  a  typically  agricultural  region,  and  is 
part  of  the  Great  Plains  area  of  this  part  of  China.  ...  It 
is  a  region  of  famines  due  to  periodic  floods,  and  is  probably  one 
of  the  most  backward  regions,  agriculturally,  in  China.  The 
farmers  seem  to  be  less  industrious,  and  farming  is  done  on  a 
less  intensive  scale,  than  in  many  other  parts  of  China.  The  big¬ 
gest  problem  of  the  region — floods — is  both  an  agricultural  and 
an  engineering  problem. 

— J.  L.  Buck,  in  Millard’s  Review  of  the  Far  East,  Septem¬ 
ber  14,  1918. 

At  Pao  Ti  Hsien  a  helper  mapped  and  surveyed  his  district 
after  a  flood.  He  showed  how  several  villages  and  districts 
working  together  might  prevent  floods.  He  went  through  the 
district  speaking  on  this  subject,  giving  his  tracts,  and  also  show¬ 
ing  how  it  was  feasible  only  by  Christian  harmony.  This  latter 
was  unobtainable,  and  the  scheme  fell  through,  but  to  this  day  the 
church  is  more  honored  in  that  district  than  before. 

— Educational  Review,  July,  1918. 

I.  Songs :  “O  Master,  let  me  walk  with  Thee,”  “Dare 
to  do  right.” 

II.  Read  or  have  the  children  read  or  tell  the  story  of 
“The  Good  Samaritan,”  or  other  Bible  stories  they 
have  found  on  neighborliness.  Have  the  Golden 
Rule  given,  if  children  suggest  it;  if  not,  leave  the 
search  open  for  another  session. 

III.  Tell  the  story. 

IV.  Discussion,  including  2-6  of  previous  assignment. 

V.  Construct  in  sand  table,  or  in  a  cardboard  scene, 
(See  page  12),  a  picture  of  the  story,  and  have  the 
children  tell  it  to  another  group. 

VI.  Assignment  for  next  session: 

1.  Find  out  what  you  can  about  the  corn  clubs  in 
America. 


20 


2.  Do  you  think  such  clubs  would  help  in  China? 
Why  or  why  not? 

3.  Try  to  learn  if  any  such  attempts  have  been 
made  in  China,  and  if  so,  with  what  results. 

VI.  Program  for  “Winning  of  the  Corn  Contest” 

The  problem  of  an  economically  independent  Christian 
Church  in  China  can  in  large  measure  only  be  solved  in  the  im¬ 
provement  of  her  agriculture.  This  direct  relationship  between 
the  Christian  Movement  in  China  and  Chinese  agriculture  has 
been  clearly  and  forcibly  stated  by  no  less  an  authority  in  rural 
matters  than  Dean  Liberty  Hyde  Bailey  in  an  article  by  him  in 
the  fourth  number  of  the  American  Museum  Journal,  1918,  en¬ 
titled  “A  Point  of  View  on  China.”  .... 

It  is  estimated  that  eighty-five  per  cent,  of  Chinese  popula¬ 
tion  is  agricultural . The  agricultural  mission  must  be  one 

of  the  strong  movements  of  the  coming  years . 

The  South  Chihli  Mission  at  Tamingfu  have  developed  con¬ 
siderable  agricultural  work  in  connection  with  their  activities, 
furnishing  work  and  maintenance  for  the  students  and  introduc¬ 
ing  foreign  cattle,  foreign  fruits,  and  many  of  the  general  crops, 
all  of  which  have  been  available  to  the  people  among  whom  they 
are  laboring. 

'Ralph  C.  Wells  of  the  Northern  Presbyterian  Mission  at 
Weihsien,  Shantung,  taught  the  students  of  their  large  middle 
school  how  to  carry  on  germination  tests  of  corn,  and  the  selec¬ 
tion  of  the  best  ears  for  planting.  Contests  were  held  among  the 
students  to  see  who  could  raise  the  best  crop  of  corn. 

— J.  H.  Reisner  in  Millard’s  Review  of  the  Far  East,  No¬ 
vember  2,  1918. 

The  Chinese  have  a  very  small  variety  of  good  vegetables, 
and  I  believe  it  is  because  many  vegetables  cannot  be  grown, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  they  have  no  way  of  successfully  combating 
the  insects  and  plant  diseases. 

— J.  L.  Buck,  in  Millard’s  Review  of  the  Far  East , 
September  14,  1918. 

I.  Call  for  reports  on  assignments. 

II.  Free  discussion.  Recall  the  story  of  “The  Good 
Samaritan.”  What  is  the  rule  for  being  a  good 
neighbor?  Do  you  suppose  a  Chinese  boy  could 


21 


and  would  play  the  part  of  a  good  neighbor?  Let 
me  tell  you  a  story,  and  you  may  decide  for  your¬ 
self. 

III.  Tell  the  story. 

IV1.  What  do  you  think  of  Shan’s  attitude?  Was  he 
a  real  neighbor? 

V.  Song  service,  pupils  choosing  songs. 

VI.  Assignment  for  next  session : 

1.  How  do  Chinese  children  regard  their  parents? 
Is  this  the  right  attitude  to  take?  What  does  the 
Bible  say  about  it?  Which  of  the  two,  the  Chinese 
or  the  Americans,  do  you  think  keeps  this  Bible 
rule  the  better? 

2.  Make  as  long  a  list  as  you  can  of  the  every¬ 
day  good  things  that  are  ours  because  we  live  in 
a  Christian  land. 

VII.  Program  for  “Precious  Flower  and  the  Flies” 

After  a  lecture  on  the  relation  of  flies  to  the  carrying  of 
disease,  a  report  might  well  be  prepared  as  to  the  food  markets 
and  the  sanitation  of  the  eating  shops.  I  think  that  there  are 
places  already  where  food  venders  have  been  induced  to  screen 
their  supplies  from  flies,  at  least  where  exposed  to  the  public 
gaze.  There  are  other  places  where  some  slight,  but  more  funda¬ 
mental  efforts  have  been  made  to  abolish  the  very  breeding  places 
of  flies  and  mosquitoes  and  to  clean  up  the  places  from  which 
the  flies  get  their  infection.  This,  of  course,  is  going  much 
more  to  the  root  of  the  sanitation  problem  than  mere  screens 
from  the  ubiquitous  insect. 

— Educational  Review,  July,  1918. 

I.  Discuss  Assignment  1. 

II.  Tell  the  story. 

III.  Discussion.  How  did  Precious  Flower  get  her 
friends  to  see  the  right  way  to  do?  Is  it  worth 
while  for  missionaries  to  spend  their  time  teach- 


22 


mg  sanitation,  protection  from  flies  and  other  in¬ 
sect  pests?  Do  not  leave  this  question  until  the 
pupils  see  that  Christian  missions  mean  more  than 
Sunday  teaching  and  Sunday  living,  that  the  bet¬ 
terment  of  all  life  is  included,  and  that  all  of  this 
is  truly  Christian.  Mission  schools  promote  so¬ 
cial  service  in  a  spirit  of  democracy.  Many  mis¬ 
sion  schools  are  rendering  such  service.  They 
organize  Sunday-schools  and  night-schools  and 
support  village  schools.  They  sometimes  teach 
games  to  village  children  and  take  part  in  efforts 
for  public  sanitation  or  adornment.  This  service 
is  perhaps  the  most  effective  means  of  creating  a 
truly  democratic  spirit  and  should  have  a  fine 
reflex  influence  on  the  life  of  the  school.  It  is 
especially  important  for  its  effect  on  the  life  of 
students  after  leaving. 

IV.  Assignment  for  next  session: 

1.  Find  out  what  the  Bible  says  about  the  blessing 
of  trees. 

2.  What  can  you  find  out  about  China’s  trees? 

3.  What  happened  in  parts  of  America  when  too 
many  trees  were  cut  down?  (See  accounts  of  the 
Johnstown  flood;  write  to  the  United  States  Gov¬ 
ernment  for  pamphlets  on  forestation.) 

4.  What  is  Arbor  Day?  Why  do  we  have  it? 

5.  What  do  you  know  about  China’s  Arbor  Day? 
Read  the  story  of  it  in  Ancient  Peoples  at  New 
Tasks.  (See  Bibliography.) 

6.  Ask  your  grown-up  friends  (perhaps  you  may 
count  a  real  forester  among  them)  if  it  is  prac¬ 
ticable  to  gather  tree  seeds  and  send  them  to  China. 
Might  it  not  be  worth  while  to  learn  what  seeds 
will  grow  in  China  and  make  up  some  pack¬ 
ages  of  these  seeds  to  send  the  Chinese  boys 
and  girls  as  a  sign  of  your  friendship  to  them? 


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VIII.  Program  for  “The  Village  of  the  Crimson  Tree” 

The  college  of  agriculture  and  forestry  (University  of  Nan¬ 
king)  provides  a  full  five  years  course  in  agriculture  and  forestry, 
leading  to  the  degree  of  B.S.  and  has  a  staff  of  six  teachers 
giving  full  time  to  the  work  and  nine  more  devoting  part  time. 

— J.  H.  Reisner,  in  Millard’s  Revieiv  of  the  Far  East,  No¬ 
vember  2,  1918. 

I.  Report  on  Assignments  1-5. 

II.  Tell  the  story. 

III.  Discussion,  leading  up  to  the  question,  “What  can 
we  do  to  help?”  and  ending  with  discussion  of 
Assignment  6. 

IV.  Songs:  “For  the  beauty  of  the  earth,”  “Now  thank 
we  all  our  God,”  “Fairest  Lord  Jesus.” 

V.  Assignment  for  next  session : 

1.  There  are  several  Bible  verses  that  tell  about 
“in  honor  preferring  one  another” ;  find  them  and 
learn  at  least  one. 

2.  If  you  do  not  already  know  it,  learn  the  Golden 
Rule. 

3.  Draw  the  Chinese  flag  on  paper  and  color  it 
properly.  What  does  each  stripe  stand  for? 

4.  If  you  do  not  already  know  it,  learn  the  salute 
to  the  Christian  flag. 

IX.  Program  for  “As  One  Big  Family” 

I.  Tell  the  story. 

II.  Call  for  assignments  1  and  2.  Do  you  think  Wei- 
ping  knew  these  verses  ? 

III.  What  is  your  opinion  of  these  young  Chinese  re¬ 
publicans?  What  things  about  them  do  you  like? 
Review  the  list  of  things  China  has  given  the 
world.  Did  she  give  her  best?  Have  we  given 
her  our  best  in  return  ?  Is  it  fair  for  us  to  take  her 
best  and  give  just  as  little  as  we  can?  What  is 
our  best?  How  can  we  share  it? 


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